Method of superheating steam.



, .PATENTED JUNE 7, 1904. B. P. OSBORNE. METHOD OF SUPERHBATING STEAMQ APPLICATION FILED 00120. 1899. RENEWED AFB. 8, 1901.

NO MODEL.

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mizn' Jaye/1e 17 ONWJu-Z y UNITED STATES Patented June 7, 190a.

PATENT OFFICE.

EUGENE F. OSBORNE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE OSBORNE STEAM ENGINEERING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

METHOD OF SUPERHEATING STEAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,248, dated June 7, 1904.

Application filed October 20, 1 899. Renewed .lpril 8, 1901. Serial No. 54,920. (N model.)

T0 at whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EUGENE F. OSBORNE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods of Producing Super-heated Steam; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of 10 reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a novel method of producing superheated steam for use in steamengines whereby a greater expansion of the I 5 steam may be secured and more power generated therefrom.

In carrying out the method constituting my invention Iproceed generally as follows: Heat is first applied to a body of Water to generate 2o steam therefrom. A fluid heat-transmitting medium is employed, such as brine or oil or one having a boiling-point higher than water. Said heat-transmitting medium is contained within a circuit, through which it constantly passes or circulates. At one part of the circuit heat is applied to the mediumand at another part thereof heat is'transmittecl from said medium to the steam to be superheated, said transfer of heat taking place outside of 0 the space in which the steam is generated. The process includes as an additional step the variation of the intensity of the heat applied to the medium to maintain constant the temperature of the superheated steam, the inten- 3 5 sity of the heat applied being lessened when the temperature of the superheated steam rises above a predetermined point and being increased when such temperature falls below such point. By the method thus outlined,

40 therefore, I am enabled to maintainthe superheated steam constantly at a desired temperature by controlling the intensity of the heat applied to' the circulating medium to accord with the temperature of the steam after it has been superheated. To render automatic the control of the intensity of the heat applied to the heat-transmitting medium, I propose, further, to apply force derived from the variations in temperature of the superheated steam to so control the intensity of the heat applied 5 to the heat-transmitting medium.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

I have shown in the drawing one form of apparatus which may conveniently be employed for carrying out my novel method, said drawing showing diagrammatically a steamsuperheating device and illustrating the manner in'which it may be connected with a steam-v 6o boiler, the latter being indicated in dotted 1 lines.

As shown in said drawing, A designates a steam-generator, which is designed to supply steam to operate an engine in the usual manner. 6 5

B designates a cylindric or other shaped casing, which is closed at its ends by end walls 7) Z) and which may be supported in any suitable manner. Said casing is provided interiorly thereof with two diaphragms B B which divide the easing into an intermediate chamber B and two end chambersB and B C designates a plurality of parallel tubes which extend between the diaphragms B B and open through said diaphragms, so as to be in communication with the end chambers B* and B and to afford communication between said chambers.

' D designates a pipe leading from the boiler A and discharging to and communicating with 8 the lower end of the intermediate chamber B". I Said pipe is herein shown as unvalved, but may be provided with a valve, if desired. E designates a pipe which leads from the upper end of said intermediate chamber B and is adapted for connection with the steam-chest of an engine. (Not shown.) F designates a pipe which leads from the lower, end of the lower chamber B and terinitiates at its lower end-in a coil F, and F 9 designates a .pipe which leads from the opposite end of the coil and extends upwardly to and is in communication at its upperend with the upper end chamber B of the casing B. The coil F is herein shown as locatedwithin a chamber or inclosure G. Said coilis adapted the medium of a supply-pipe II, which may be connected at its end remote from the chamber Gr with a suitable source of fuel-supply.

I designates a thermostat, which is located within a fitting E, forming part of the steampipe E, leading from the upper end of the intermediate chamber B to the steam-chest of the engine. Said thermostat is operatively connected with the upper end of a rod J, the lower end of which rod is connected with a valve H", which is located within the fuelsupply pipe H and by means of which the supply of fuel to the burner H is controlled.

H is a pipe leading from the supply-pipe H at a point outside of the valve H 130 a burner-jet h, located close to the annular burner Said pipe H is shown as supplied with a regulating-valve it. The pipe H is intended to be kept open and to afford a constant supply of gas to the burner-jet it, which will always remain lighted and insures the relighting of the main burner in case the supply of gas thereto should be entirely cut off temporarily by the action of the thermostat.

i cuit and a portion of the heat of said medium The pipe F, coil F, pipe F, the end chambers 13* B, and the tubes 0 constitute a heatconducting circuit, while the pipe D, chamber B and pipe/E constitute a passage for steam by means of which the same is brought into heat-transmitting relation to the heatconducting medium circulated in the heatconducting circuit. Said heat transmitting medium receives heat from the burner H and is caused to circulate continuously through its circuit so long as the heat is applied thereto. The steam is continuously passed over the tubes 0 of the heat-transmitting-medium ciris given off to the steam, with the result of raising the temperature of the steam or superthat a higher temperature maybe maintained in the 'superheater-circuit than in the steam generator or boiler, with little pressure in said circuit. The liquid employed as a heatconducting medium may be linseed-oil, brine, a metal having a low fusing-point and a high boiling-point, or any other suitable fluid.

K designates a safety valve, which is in communication with the upper chamber B of the casing and which provides against injury to the casing from pressure of vapor or gas arising from the heat-conducting medium.

As before stated, the thermostat I is located within the discharge-pipe E of the superheating-chamber or that leading to the point of use or consumption of the superheated steam, so as to be subjected to the full influence of the superheated steam after it leaves said heating-chamber. Said it'hermostat when in stalled in the apparatus will be adjusted in a manner to be actuated at a selected temperature or at a temperature at which it is desired to maintain the steam in the pipe E, so that it will be operated to actuate the valve upon a variation from such selected or given temperature either above or below such temperature. In other words, when the temperature of the steam exceeds that which has been predetermined the thermostat operates to close the valve, so as to decrease or cut off the supply of fuel to the coil F, while when said temperature is reduced below that of such predetermined point the thermostat operates to open the valve and permit an increased supply of fuel to said burner with a corresponding increase in the heat given to the circulating medium by which the superheating-chamber isjheated.

While I have herein'shown 'the heat-conducting circuit as supplied by heat from a vapor or gas burner, it will be obvious that the source of heat to the circulating medium may be the furnace which supplies the boiler A with heat. In this case aflu'e'may be directed from said furnace to a casing, such asthe easing G, and said flue provided with a damper, which may be connected with the thermostat and operated in a manner similar to that in which the valve H is operated. Moreover, in case the regulation of the heat applied to thetransmitting medium is not required such heat may be derived from the furnace itself without the intervention of dampers and regulating apparatus.

One of the important advantages arising from the use of the method-above set forth is thatthe source of heat is entirely outside of and independently controllable with respect to the heat-appliedto the steam-generator, so that the conditions which govern the heating of the steam-generator will have no-effect on the heat which is applied to the "circulating medium of the conducting-circuit. Moreover, said heat-conducting circuit being subjected only to a moderatedegree of heat is more durable than where the said circuit is steam without materially vaporizing the medium, and "therefore without producing any considerable pressure in the superheatingmedium circuit. The walls of said circuit may therefore be safely made relatively thin, andthereby facilitate the transmission of heat therethrough to the steam which passes thereover.

Obviously intheemployment of the apparatus described for carrying out my novel method the thermostatic controlling device employed to govern the supply of fuel to the burner serves as a means of utilizing the force derived from variations in the temperature of the superheated steam to accomplish this end. My novel method, therefore, not only includes the step of varying the intensity of the heat applied to the heat-transmitting medium, but also, as an additional feature, the step by' which such control is rendered automatic namely, the application of force derived from variations in the temperature of the superheated steam to so control the intensity of, such heat.

It is to be understood, however, that force derived from variations in the temperature of the superheated steam may be utilized for so controlling the intensity of the heat otherwise than through the use of such thermostat. It will of course be understood that the superheating device will be properly insulated from the surrounding atmosphere. Such insulation may consist of an asbestos investment or like material.

I claim as my invention 1. The method of superheating-steam, which consists in applying heat to a heat-transmitting'medium, transmitting heat from said medium to the steam to be superheated, and varying the intensity of the heat applied to said medium upon a decrease or increase of the temperature of the superheated steam to I maintain constant the temperature of such superheated steam.

2. The method of superheating steam which transmitting heat from said medium to the steam to be superheated at another part of the said circuit, and varying the intensity of the heat applied to the said medium to maintain constant the temperature of the superheated steam.

3. The method of superheating steam which consists in applying heat to a fluid heat-transmitting medium, transmitting heat from said medium to the steam to be superheated, and applying force derived from variation in the temperature of the superheated steam to vary the intensity of the heat applied to said medium and to thereby maintain constant temperature of said superheated steam.

4:. The process of producing superheated steam which consists in applying heat to an agent to produce steam and thereafter subjecting the steam in a space separate from the space in which it is generated to heat from a superheating agent, the. correlative steam pressure of which agent is less than that of the agent from which the steam is produced.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix my signature, in presence of two Witnesses, this 13th day of October, A. D. 1899. I

EUGENE F. OSBORNE.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM L. HALL, GERTRUDE BRYCE. 

